Fan.



1. H. LESEM.

FAN. APPUCAHON FILED JUNE 13. \913.

Mmm July 23, W18.

citizen of the United States,

intense.

specification of letters ll at'ent.

Patented dd, lldlld,

duplication filed June it, will. denial the. assent.

' in'gs, forming a part thereof.

- This invention relates generally to fans and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful arti cial palm-leaf fan, the object of my invention being to provide, as a new article of manufacture and as an efficient substitute for the natural palm-leaf fan, an inexpensive artificial or factitious aim-leaf fan having a body or blade of abricated compressedsheet material bodily shaped and configured in approximate sirnilitude of the natural palm-leaf fan.

With the above object in view, my invention resides in the novel. form and construction of the fan, all as will hereinafter be de scribed and afterward pointed out in the claims.

lln the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevational view embodying my invention; I

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the fan; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view through the fan on approximately the line 3-3, lHig. l.

lteferring to the said drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,my new fan has a body 01' blade A constructed of suitable and more or less readily obtainable fabricated com ressed sheet material, such as sized pape card; and this body it, by embossrnent thereof in similitude of the natural dried palm-leaf, closely, approximately exactly, resembles in the finished artificial fan the body or blade of the natural dried palm-leaf. Carrying out such similitude, the body A includes a midrib or petiole l, which, as shown and as characteristic of the midrib or petiole of the natural palm-leaf, attenuates from the base and disappears toward the apex of the blade or body of a fan A. The midrib or petiole l is also flattened as illustrated to correspond or conform to the flattened midrib or petiole of the natural dried and pressed leaf. in contour, thebody or blade A is substantially circular to conform to the usual contour of the blade of the natural the ribs and creases or palm-leaf fan, and at its base, on each side of the midrib or petiole 1, it is formed on a less and substantially compound curve, to form lobes 2 corresponding or conforming to the lobes of he natural leaf. in simulation of the fibre-vascular bundles or veins of the lid natural palm-leaf, are ribs 3, which diverge radially in more or less straight lines from successive points along the opposite sides of the midrib or petiole from its base to'its apex and extend or run to near the margin of the blade; and in resemblance to the midrib or petiole and ribs of the natural paler leaf fan, the petiole l and ribs 3 are in relief with respect to one or the front face of the blade or body A, the rear face of the blade A presenting creases and ribs in reverse to depressions and grooves, respectively, on the front face of the blade, as seen in Fig. 3. intermediate the several ribs 3, the bladed is formed on its front face with grooves or creases 41-, which, as with the ribs 3, diverge radially in more or less straight lines from successive points along the opposite sides of the midrib or petiole 1 from its base to its apex and extend or run nearly to the margin of the blade. The said ribs and grooves as they ap preach the center of the blade merge toward the center of the blade, the midrib disappearing in the merging ribs and grooves, and the portions of the blade it between the several ribs 3 and grooves d are waved or undulated, as seen particularly in Fig. 3, all in similitude of the creased and curled appearence of the tissue of the dried natural palmeaf.

'lo additionally conform to the natural palm-leaf and in simulation of the marginal binding or reinforcing strip common to natural palm-leaf fans, the body or blade it is formed with a marginal rib 5, which er.-

tends in relief with respect to the front face llllll ltlh fans from the natural palm-leaf,

- transversely binding strip in the natural palm-leaf fan.

The blade A is seated at the outer end of its midrib or petiole 1 in a kerf 7 provided in the upper end of a suitable preferably light wooden handle B, which is integrally projected above the kerf 7 to provide an extension 8 adapted to extend lengthwise along the rear face of, and there ing secured to -manner, as by means the stock in by reinforce, the blade A, the handle B bethe blade A in any convenient of the staples 9 pro jected through the blade A and the handle extension 8, as seen especially in Fig. 2. i The handle B is preferably of a length to include only its kerf 7, whereby substantially the Whole of the front face of the blade A is exposed. I prefer. to construct the blade Aof paper-board connnercia-lly known as sized stock, and-I have found that six-ply paper-board, properly sized, is of ample weight, when ribbed and grooved as I have described in similitude of the natural leaf, to provide an artificial palm-leaf bladeA of 'sufficient stifiness and strength for durability. By reason of this economic expedient, however, I find it better, for the durability of the fan, .to employ the added handle B than to extend the midrib 1 into a stem, asin thena-tural leaf; yet it will be evident that, if a heavier stock were employed to construct the blade A, the handle might be formed as an integral part thereof.

The blade A especially-of the fan is pref? erably constructed of material of a color in similitude of the color of the natural palmleaf fan, and to that end I resort to the use of a suitable dye either in the manufacture of the stock or as a moistening medium for the production of the artificial palm-leaf blade A.

or blows delivere Not only do the ribs and grooves which I have described so configure the body A to resemble the blade of the natural palm-leaf fan, but they also perform the: important mechanical function of stiffening and reinforcing the blade A. the material of which is more or less flexible, as is the natural gin of the body A serves to absorb shocks at the margin of the blade and thus breakage from strains diametrically, of the blade is minimized, While the radial ribs 3 and grooves 41, which latter form ribs on the rear face of the blade, as seen in Fig. 3, stifien the body inside the marginal rib 5 and in a manner to minimize fabricate distortion or breakage by strains delivered accident or improper use.

Thus I provide inexpensively a durable fan having the appearance and all the characteristics of, and efficiently usable as a substitute for, the natural palm-leaf fan, but which will better withstand the effects of climatic and atmospheric the natural palm-leaf fans, which become cracked or split and broken from the effects of climatic and atmospheric conditions and usage, due to their brittleness after the drying process. This characteristic of the fan herein described is due to the fact, as above stated, that the blade may be'constructed of sized and practically water and moisture proof material, and for this purpose the lade may be constructed of anysuitable water and moisture proof material capable of being pressed to shape between dies.

avin-g thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letter Patcut is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a toilet fan simulating a natural palm-leaf fan, the blade of which consists of a. plate constructed of a sheet of fabricated compressile material and provided with an integral midrib, and a series of integral diverging substantially straight alternating ribs and from successive points creases radiating along the opposite edges of the midrib and extending toward the margin of the blade.

2. As an article of manufacture, a toilet fan simulatin a natural palm-leaf fan, the

lade of WlllCfl consists of a substantially circular late constructed of a sheet of (l compressible material and provided with an integral midrib tapering from its base and merging into the blade toward the center thereof, and a series of integral diverging substantially straight alternating ribs and creases radiating from successive points along the opposite edges of the midrib from its base to its point of mergencc and extending toward the margin of the lade.

3. As an article of manufacture, a toilet fan simulating a natural palm-leaf fan, the blade of which consists of a substantially circular plate constructed of a sheet of fabricatcd compressible material and provided withan integral midrib tapering from its ass and merging into the body of the blade toward the center thereof, a series of integral diverging substantially straight alternating ribs and its point of conditions than creases radiating fromsuccessive points along the opposite edges the margin the hlarle oi "which eeneieteelf enheta. tialiy circular nlate eenetrneterl elf sheet of tahrieateol eoinpreseihle material anel preritleel With'an integral niirliih tapering trein its lease anrl merging inte the herly et' the blade toward the center theree'l, a eeriee er; integral diverging snhetantiall y straight nlternatin rihs and ereases radiating trein sneeessire peints along; the Opposite eclgee elf the inielrih treni its lease te ite ei inergenee entl entenrlin tetrartl the margin ef the hlacle a margnai rih ententling around snhstantiahly the en e hlatle, an a series (it spaeerl heeees tliagenally anrangetl across sairl marginal rih.

5.- llr s an article (it inanntaetnre.

a teilet tan simulating a natnral paira-leat tan the hlacle nit Whieh censists et a enhetantially circular plate eenstrnetetl el? a sheet elf tahrieatetl eenipreseihle nisrterial anti previdecl with an integral initlrih tapering t'rein. its hase and merging inte the hnrly nit the hlarle tewartl the eenter th eel eeriee ell integral diverging enhetan y etraigght al ternating rihs anti ereaeeerarliatinn; lre'in successive points aleng the ejppeeite erlgee (ii the iniclrih treni its hate tn its pnint e'f niergence anti extending teirarel the inar in ef the hlaephe. ancl an integral innr "inal tin extending arenntl sahetantiall r the entire larle and terminating in the heil zet the 'naine tn thin epeeitieatien.

hlaile npen eppeeite eirlee et the ainli intereeeting eenae nit the rite annl ereaeee reitliatinggg theretrern, v.

ti. Ale an arti le et nianntaetnre, a teilet tan eininlating a natural pahnleat tan, the hlacle at "which eensietseit a enhetantially eirealar plate eenstrnetetl 0i sheet et iahrieatetl eeinpressihle material andr prerirlecl 0n ene at its lanes with an integral niitlrih tapering :lfrem its lease anrl merging inte the herl jy elf the hlarle tewarxl the center thereirt aeeriee elf integral diverging substantially straight alternating ribs and ereaseeradiating trein sneeessire points. aleng the eppesite sielee nit the niiclrih trera its lease to its point et inergenee anel entending teirarcl the margin iii the blade, an integral marginal rih ententling arennd enhstantially the entire hlaele anal terminating in the heel elf the hlarle npen eppesite sieles elf naitlrih antl interseeting serne et the rihe anrl creases ratliating theretrein, anel a seriee nit enaeetl heseee tliaggenally arrangerl nereee eaiel marginal rile the ejppesite liaee elf the blade presenting ereaees rihs, anrl elepreesiene reverse ta the rihs, ereasee, anti heeeee, respectively, en the first-mentienetl ltaee er? the hlatle in teetiineny n'hereel have eignedl nay lll lie 

